Symptoms: Presenting with mechanical engine knock sounds at higher RPMs and higher throttle settings. Symptoms started presenting on the way to Moab. Babying her by staying out of the secondary at higher RPMs has prevented symptoms from becoming more prominent.

Medical History: Original engine developed knock in mid 2000. On New Years Day 2001, RS members helped me swap in a used F out from a 2/71 FJ40 from a guy who did a V8 conversion. Engine's ran great ever since until until Moab 2006, although it has always burned oil, leaked oil and had low compression. Oil pressure is low, 10 PSI at idle when hot, 25 PSI at highway speed when hot.

Treatment: Install freshened engine; "while I'm in there" new clutch and install the H42 that's been sitting on my garage floor ever since I pulled it from my 76 in favor of an H41.

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 05:22 PM

In addition to the original F engine that was pulled from her over 5 years ago, I have another F from a 1972 FJ40 that somebody gave me to get it out of their garage. That rig ended up getting the 2F that came out of Kim Brown's 40 when she did her V8 conversion. The 72 came with a bunch of extra and ancillary parts, including a 4 speed bellhousing. They've both been sitting on stands in my garage for years. Every time I walk by one of them I make a mental note that "I need to build an engine one of these days". Well the day came when the one that's in the rig started knocking on the way out to Moab. As of my 6/14 post in the for sale wanted section:

Done so far:

Two F engines disassembled, a 71 and a 72.
All internal parts cleaned on both motors, external parts cleaned from the 71.

Two walls were scored on the 71 block, so I'm using the 72 block, but the crank, cam, oil pump and timing gears from the 71. Lots of broken rings, several mangled pistons from both engines. I picked the best 6, 4 from the 71 and 2 from the 72.

Since I had to use the 72 block, I have to use the valve cover from the 72, as the one from the 71 doesn't have an oil fill hole. That sucked because I hadn't cleaned the one from the 72 and it had scads of rust inside. It's done now and ready to paint.

As of the next day, 6/15:

I should have known that things weren't looking good, deadline-wise, aside from parts being late. Yesterday, I cleaned and painted the valve cover, then set it outside in the sunshine to dry. About an hour later I heard a tremendous "clunk" on the garage door. I opened the garage door to find that the wind had knocked the box over, and the valve cover was sitting in the dirt, wet paint side down.

I did get the oil pan on, all the lifters installed and all the valves installed in the head, then gave up early at around six o'clock. Anybody ever install valves before? Those ittie bittie keepers are a PITA! A couple of lifters didn't want to go in and needed a little tapping to get them in, I hope that doesn't turn into a problem when I go to start her up.

I sanded the dirt out of the paint and repainted the valve cover today, that's it. Maybe put the timing cover and head on later on today, but I need to install a new front door on my house first.

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 05:25 PM

Now for some photos. Front view of the 72 block with the crank, cam, and timing gears from the 71 F. It's lined up at exactly TDC. Once I got the pistons in, it was a bear to turn the crank. All the main bearings and rod bearings are fine, it's just the new rings on the freshly-honed cylinder walls are creating a lot of friction. As soon as the rings seat in it should be fine (crossing fingers!). I whacked the balancing lobes of the crank with a rubber mallet to turn the crank while the engine was upside down on the stand. I used a suggestion Bill Van Beek gave me over the phone for piston install. Instead of assembly lube, he soaks the ring end of the piston in ATF just prior to install. He says it helps dissolve the gunk in the ring grooves that you can't really get to mechanically. Makes sense to me. Everything else (bearing/journal, lifters, timing gears) that is where moving parts touch was slathered in assembly lube.

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 05:32 PM

Here's a view of the lifters. About four of them needed to be tapped in, the rest slid in. I hope this works out okay. The lifters are out of the 71 since the cam was also. The cam from the 72 was rusted, had an under-spec lobe and had excessive thrust at the end plate.

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 05:35 PM

Here's a view of the cylinder walls from the 71 block, which is why I used the 72 block. I didn't want to have to spend machine money if I didn't have to, plus spending big $$$ on a set of oversize pistons. The top photo is cylinder #2, the bottom one is number 3.

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 05:40 PM

And here's why the walls were so fragged. There were broken rings in both engines, mainly the top compression rings. Some were worse than others, but there were only a couple pistons with a complete set of rings intact. BTW, I always knew that F engines had 4 rings, but I didn't realize that the second oil control ring (3rd ring from the top) consist of four separate parts, and the second compression ring has two parts, an internal expander and then the ring itself. That means for a set of 6 pistons, you have 48 rings to install! These rings are both out of the 71, and correspond to the cylinders in the photos above.

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 05:41 PM

This was the worst piston from the 72:

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 05:49 PM

Here is the head shortly after I installed all the valves. I had already given the head off the 72 away to Jerry Nichols, and gave the oil pan to Ige, so I didn't have either of those parts to work with. In any case, the valves and guides from this head were in decent shape. I thoroughly cleaned each valve, then lapped them according to the Haynes Manual. The FSM says to cut the seats and grind the valves, but I looked into cutting kits on the internet and they ranged from $500 to over $1500. So I did it the Haynes way. The seats turned out really nice, and they seem to seal really well. I started out using one of those suction cup doohickies to twirl the valves with the lapping compound, but quickly discovered that was very time consuming, about a half hour per valve. I then tried another technique which worked like a charm: I chucked the valve stem into my cordless drill, and it cut the time down to a matter of minutes to lap each valve. I think I mentioned in a post above that those little keeper halfs that hold the spring retainer to the valve stem are a total PITA. They are really little and you have to get them on just right while you are compressing the spring with the special spring compressor. I used assembly lube to hold them to the valve stems, but grease would probably do the same trick.

I've never completely done a head before. In the past I would just yank it off the engine, drop it off and have it redone, then pick it up after a walletectomy. I'm trying to do pretty much all of this myself, save $$ and learn a lot.

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 06:03 PM

I spent a LOT of time cleaning parts on these engines, probably 60-80 hours total. Much of the exterior was with a toothbrush and solvent, then follow up with a wire wheel, interior parts mostly in my parts sink. Getting all the carbon out of the combustion chambers was loads of fun (NOT!). I mainly used various sizes of wire wheels. When I was done, I went back into the house and walked past a darkened window and saw my reflection. I wasn't sure what was going on, so I went and looked in a mirror, and my face was so black that it looked like I had been working in a coal mine!

BTW, before I really started on the head I cleaned the surface that mates with the block and checked for flatness with a 2 foot steel straight edge, I couldn't find any warpage in any direction. I also checked for cracks under magnification since I don't have any magnaflux, but it looked fine, and I had no indication that there was going to be a problem. As far as I know, this head has never been overheated. The 72 on the other hand had a blown head gasket, but that wasn't the head I was working with anyway.

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 08:04 PM

I was installing things that go on the manifold side of the block, such as the oil pressure bypass, oil pressure sender and oil filter return and got stumped. This port is present on the 72 F block, but neither 71 F blocks or either my 76 2F block or my 78 2F block. It seems to dump straight into the oil pan, as the oil filter return does. I would guess it's supposed to be plugged up? What's up with a 72 F block that's different than 71 F blocks and 76 and 78 2F blocks? I couldn't quite figure out the threads either. They are 10mm, but neither a 10x1.50 nor 10x1.25 would fit, nor would a 10x1.00 brake bleeder. I tried one of the oil line fittings and it didn't thread up cleanly, but the fitting in my hand did. The threads seem similar to 1/8 NPT, but I don't want to bugger them finding out. I looked high and low for fittings that might fit, but don't know what this port is for.

The photo at the top is the 72 block I am building, the photo below is the 71 block, showing an absence of the port.

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 08:10 PM

While I was scratching my head about the extra port to the oil pan, I went ahead and installed the timing gear cover. I remembered to put in the oil slinger and install the woodruff key for the crank pulley before I put the cover on, and of course I put a new crank pulley seal in first.

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 09:22 PM

Here's a shot of the nicely honed cylinder walls, which also make turning the crank a bear.

Rzeppa

06-19-2006, 09:27 PM

I have two 2F head gaskets, this one fit the best. But there are two water hole which will be closed off, one between #1 & #2 and an exact equal between number #5 & #6. Go ahead and use it anyway since there are plently of other water jacket holes between the block and head? Cut holes for those two blocked off holes? Get another head gasket?

The hole I am referring to is about in the center of the top photo. The bottom photo is with the head gasket laying on top of the block.

Rzeppa

06-22-2006, 08:22 AM

The water pump off the 71 engine made a grinding noise when it was turned, but the one off the 72 engine turned very smoothly. I decided to use the one off the 72 and cleaned it up.

Rzeppa

06-22-2006, 08:24 AM

After I cleaned it up, I noticed what appeared to be deteriorated or missing gasket between the plate and the housing. Even though this one turned smoothly, it likely had a leak. In fact, this may have been the root cause of that 72 engine's demise, as I had seen that it had a blown head gasket when I took the head off.

Rzeppa

06-22-2006, 08:26 AM

I went ahead and used that head gasket, rationalizing that blocking off those two small holes didn't make much difference compared to the total cross section of all the other water jacket passages between the block and the head.

Rzeppa

06-22-2006, 08:30 AM

Pushrods, rockers and oil tube all installed. The rear half of the rocker assembly was a bugger to get seated until I remembered that you have to rotate the center rod just right to get it to line up with the tower studs. I put a dab of assembly lube on the tips of all the pushrods and valve stems, and lubed up the inside ends of the center where the oiling banjo fitting seals on the o-rings.

Red_Chili

06-22-2006, 10:05 AM

Good tech, Jeff! Lots of detail... let us know if it runs after all this!

Glad I am not the only one who got stumped when they went to put a rocker assembly back on...

Hulk

06-22-2006, 01:17 PM

After I cleaned it up, I noticed what appeared to be deteriorated or missing gasket between the plate and the housing. Even though this one turned smoothly, it likely had a leak. In fact, this may have been the root cause of that 72 engine's demise, as I had seen that it had a blown head gasket when I took the head off.

Did you buy a new water pump? You're putting so much care and time into this, I'd hate to see you use a faulty part and have to tear it back apart after you get it done.

Glad I am not the only one who got stumped when they went to put a rocker assembly back on...Thanks TJ. The cross-hatching is the pattern you want from honing the cylinder walls. They make special hones just for honing...cylinders. You hone for two reasons, one is to break the hardened glaze from the previous tenant (the old set of rings) and two, to let the new tenants break in and make their own special bond with each cylinder. For this reason, freshly rebuilt engines never have as much compression as they do after they are broken in.

Rzeppa

06-22-2006, 05:11 PM

Did you buy a new water pump? You're putting so much care and time into this, I'd hate to see you use a faulty part and have to tear it back apart after you get it done.

Great write-up, JZ. :thumb:Heh. One of the reasons I only just got home after our field trip was to drop by Import Parts Warehouse and pick up a new water pump. It turned out to be OEM too, a bonus! Even if I had used either of the old pumps and they took a dump on me, I can replace a Land Cruiser water pump in under an hour, done it many times. But as you implied, I figured go ahead and do it right if the old part is questionable.

Not including a couple special tools I had to buy for this project, I've spent $150 on rings and bearings from SOR, $92 for the transition gear for the 4 speed conversion from Joe at CTS, $175 for a clutch kit from Carolina Clutch, and $82 for the water pump. The valve spring compressor, ring compressor and hone will come in handy for future projects. I went ahead and ordered in a new set of coolant hoses and clamps from CCOT for $40 last night, I figure the ones that are in the rig currently are 5 years old anyway. I already had the gaskets and seals laying around my garage, probably would have been another $100-$150 or to go out and buy them. Several years ago, A cruiserhead gave me a complete NIB 2F rebuild gasket kit he didn't need, so that was free. The 72 engine was free, and the 71 engine came out of the rig 5 years ago, so this is pretty low budget considering the scope of the project.

I still need to buy that shifter and bits from FJBen; for now I'll use my old ones from my 76, then use FJBen's for the 76 when it's ready for them.

I've learned a lot from this, and if the darn thing runs when I stick it in there that'll be a bonus ;-)

Hulk

06-23-2006, 12:59 AM

Engine building is cool. Props to you for documenting it so well.

FJBen

06-23-2006, 09:14 AM

I still need to buy that shifter and bits from FJBen; for now I'll use my old ones from my 76, then use FJBen's for the 76 when it's ready for them.

Jeff, you can just have those parts. I'm trying to think of a way to get them to ya easily. If you want you can PM me your address and I can get them shipped out to ya. I figure it's kinda like cruiser Kharma...:beer: :thumb:

Rzeppa

06-28-2006, 09:14 PM

Haven't gotten jack done on this the last couple days, but took a few shots a few nights ago. I installed the new water pump and lower thermostat housing. The alternator tensioning bracket is dangling because it needs a spacer. I rooted through more parts stashes than I should have spent time on before finally deciding that I'll just re-use the one that's on the F that's in the rig after I pull it out. Have to pull the alternator off and put it on this engine anyway...

Rzeppa

06-28-2006, 09:16 PM

You saw this in my reply to someone...Max? Anyway, don't forget the rubber gasket ("o-ring" in Toyota parts jargon, even though it has a rectangular cross section). If you leave it out, coolant will always bypass the thermostat and in cooler weather the engine will never get to proper operating temperature and run efficiently.

Rzeppa

06-28-2006, 09:19 PM

It seems like there are parts of every wrenching job where you can't use air tools, or in some cases, ratchet wrenches or even gear wrenches. The clearance for the alternator pivot bracket is at least enough to allow a box wrench. I hate those spots where you can only use an open end wrench.

Rzeppa

06-28-2006, 09:22 PM

I installed the side cover; was missing a few bolts but found a few extra from the timing gear cover from the other engine. I covered the distributor opening and the fuel pump opening with some tape to keep dust and debris out prior to installing those ancillaries. I also plopped the valve cover on, but didn't install it, as I will still need to set nominal clearances.

Rzeppa

06-28-2006, 09:24 PM

Notice how the machining of the 72 block doesn't quite match the 71 engine mount. Fortunately the bolt holes line up so all is well.

Rzeppa

06-28-2006, 09:28 PM

This isn't the first "awe...cr@p" of this project, and I'm sure it won't be the last. When I took these photos, I noticed that the timing gear cover is off center, just a little low compared to the center of the crank. It probably is at the bottom of the bolt hole slop from gravity as I installed the cover. Just enough to cause a problem down the road. It's subtle and hard to see in the photo, but more obvious when you look at it carefully live with one eye closed and have no parallax. I'm going to have to take it off and use the crank pulley to center it as I re-install it. Otherwise, the top of the seal will wear prematurely.

Red_Chili

06-29-2006, 09:06 AM

Good catch... not up to the Toyota precision machining of later years, it looks like.

Rzeppa

06-29-2006, 10:52 AM

Good catch... not up to the Toyota precision machining of later years, it looks like.Yeah, I'm glad I caught it now instead of six months down the road when it started to leak. I'm not entirely sure it's a lack of precision machining as much my not being careful enough during assembly. When I stop and think about it, I've had timing gear covers off many times while the engine is in the cruiser, and you really don't get the straight-on view from the front like you can while the engine is out on a stand. Oh well...

trucruiser

06-29-2006, 11:27 AM

Great write up Jeff, Cant wait to hear your results.

Rzeppa

07-02-2006, 04:36 PM

So I took the timing cover off and repositioned it as I reinstalled it. The two large bolts at the bottom kept trying to drag it downward, but I got it on more centered than the first time. And yes, I remembered to use new sealant on the two lower bolt threads.

Then I put the crank pulley on. I was hoping to pick up a two-row pulley for future P/S, but nothing came up in the time frame I was hoping for. It didn't look like it was bottomed out, so I pulled it, scratched my head and put it back on. Then I put the fan pulley and fan on, and saw that the crank pulley was lined up perfectly, so I was relieved.

I got a new hose and clamp kit from CCOT so I went ahead and put the bypass hose on that goes between the t-stat housing and the water pump. One less thing to deal with once the engine's installed. So many things are easier when the engine's out on a stand.

Rzeppa

07-02-2006, 04:39 PM

I picked up a brass 1/8 NPT plug from Ace Hardware to plug off that orphan port that dumps back into the pan. No one has posted either here or the LCML as to what that port is for, but the consensus agrees with my assessment, just plug it up. I chased the threads with a 1/8 NPT tap, blobbed in grease to keep the chips from falling into the pan.

Rzeppa

07-02-2006, 04:43 PM

While I was cleaning up the flywheel prior to install today, I noticed an oddity I haven't seen before. I've seen cruiser flywheels that only have the BB, and ones that only have the TDC mark. But this one not only had the 7° BTDC BB, but it also had a mark slightly more advanced that the BB. Anyone know what's up with that mark? Top photo is the flywheel laying next to the 4 speed bellhousing I'll be using. Middle photo is closer to the flywheel markings, and the bottom photo is a close-up of the weird markings.

Rzeppa

07-02-2006, 04:59 PM

I set the valve clearances nominally while I still had the engine on the stand, again, much easier. On F series Land Cruiser engines, you want the exhaust valves set to .014" and the intakes to .008". These engines are pretty tolerant of valve clearances that aren't precise, but you always want at least some lash so the valves close all the way. Too much lash and they won't open enough, but the only big down side to that is not quite as much flow and power as would be the case when they open all the way.

You are supposed to set the clearances while the engine is at operating temperature, but unlike a chevy V8, you don't have to do it while the engine is running, spewing oil everywhere. But to set them nominally while the engine is at room temperature, you can get them plenty close enough for the rig to start and run.

To measure the clearance, slide your feeler gauge between the rocker and the valve stem, as shown in the top photo. This was the exhaust valve for #1. Then, loosen the locking nut with your 17mm wrench and tighten or loosen the adjusting stud with a screwdriver, as shown in the middle photo. Slide the feeler gauge in and out as you turn the adjusting stud, what you want is where it just catches but can still be slid in and out. Once the clearance is set, tighten the locking nut with the 17mm wrench while holding the adjusting stud in place with the screwdriver.

To get each valve to it's clearance position on the cam, turn the crank. It's easy when it's on a stand to do it with the "big ol' nut" on the front of the crank pulley, but you can't turn it this way when it's in the cruiser,there isn't enough space behind the radiator frame. To turn the crank while the engine is in the cruiser, you can either bump the starter, or put it in high gear and push the whole rig a little. Another method is if you have the bellhousing dust cover off, you can use a pry bar or big screwdriver on the flywheel. That's slow, but it works. I've used all these methods to turn the engine, and by far the easiest is the crank pulley nut when the engine is on a stand, as shown in the bottom photo.

subzali

07-03-2006, 01:59 PM

It seems like at least on a 2F you can use the 17mm (?) nut on the alternator to turn the engine...maybe I'm just high though...

Rzeppa

07-03-2006, 04:41 PM

It seems like at least on a 2F you can use the 17mm (?) nut on the alternator to turn the engine...maybe I'm just high though...With proper (read=not overtight) tension on a belt, it will slip before you can turn the engine with just the belt. If a belt is so tight that it won't slip to turn the engine, the bearings of whatever it's connected to (water pump, alternator, smog pump, etc.) will wear out prematurely. This is something I've learned over the years through painful experience :-(

One last comment on turning an engine by hand: Taking out the spark plugs always makes it MUCH easier unless your compression is so low you have bigger problems than valve adjustment ;-)

Rzeppa

07-03-2006, 06:04 PM

I was planning on taking the now-assembled engine off the stand and installing the bellhousing, flywheel, clutch and tranny today. I pulled the tranny out from where I had it stored and discovered that I still needed to clean it. Before cleaning:

Rzeppa

07-03-2006, 06:08 PM

After cleaning. I had ordered in a new input shaft seal, so I took the front bearing retainer off, only to discover that the seal didn't match. A little investigation revealed that I had ordered the right one, but they sent one for a 3-speed instead. Since it had never leaked from there before, I decided to just button it up and move on. I had to use the reverse light switch out of the 76, another part I'll need to get another one of for the 76.

Rzeppa

07-03-2006, 06:12 PM

I went to move the clutch fork pivot from the passenger side of the bellhousing to the driver's side to match my 3-speed clutch parts. On a lark I went to check and make sure it was the same for a 3-speed and a 4-speed, and it wasn't! The short one on the left is a 4-speed pivot, and the longer one on the right is a 3-speed clutch fork pivot. Which one to use? It'll probably be obvious once the flywheel and clutch are installed, but I'd prefer to put this in before I install the bellhousing. Anybody know?

subzali

07-03-2006, 10:49 PM

It's actually a 13/16, and you're right the belt slips. Now why in the world did I learn to do that in the first place then? :confused: I know I've had to do it and there was a reason for it...:confused: oh well looks good Jeff, someday I'll have all the little projects mostly done and maybe be brave enough to dig into something like this engine freshen project...:thumb:

With proper (read=not overtight) tension on a belt, it will slip before you can turn the engine with just the belt. If a belt is so tight that it won't slip to turn the engine, the bearings of whatever it's connected to (water pump, alternator, smog pump, etc.) will wear out prematurely. This is something I've learned over the years through painful experience :-(

One last comment on turning an engine by hand: Taking out the spark plugs always makes it MUCH easier unless your compression is so low you have bigger problems than valve adjustment ;-)

Rzeppa

07-04-2006, 01:15 PM

Last night, I gave up when I couldn't get the pilot bearing out with my slide hammer style pilot bearing puller. I went to heat it with my MAPP gas torch, ran out of gas about 10 seconds after I fired it up, so I decided that was a message to quit for the night. This morning, I got out the O-A rig, heated it up a little, and it popped right out!

Rzeppa

07-04-2006, 01:18 PM

New pilot bearing and new rear main seal installed. Making good time now.

Rzeppa

07-04-2006, 01:20 PM

The flywheel bolts have to have sealant applied to their threads prior to installing them. The holes in the back of the crank go all the way through, and this would be a leak point without the sealant. Torque spec is 47 foot pounds. After torqueing them down, the tabs on the locking plates are bent onto a bolt head flat.

Rzeppa

07-04-2006, 01:22 PM

Flywheel installed, friction plate lined up with alignment tool, the pressure plate is ready for install.

Rzeppa

07-04-2006, 01:27 PM

Mama told me there'd be days like this. D'oh!!! I was tightening the pressure plate mounting bolts and this one snapped off. Knowing that I will now have to remove the pressure plate and friction plate, drill it out, retap and reinstall everything, I decided to take a break and upload the photos for now. At this point, I'm not sure if I'll have enough time to do all that and then install the fork and then stab the tranny before I have to get cleaned up for the evening's festivities. It will kind of depend on how long it will take to get the broken bolt out. After I drill a pilot hole, I'll try my left handed drill bits and cross my fingers that it will unthread itself instead of the hard way.

Rzeppa

07-04-2006, 03:40 PM

Thank goodness for left handed drill bits. After I got the flywheel out onto the floor, getting the stub of the broken bolt took all of 30 seconds! 'Course it took an hour to take everything apart and put it all back together! I used all brand new M8x1.25x20 bolts and new lock washers. Didn't want to take a chance with old fasteners this time. BTW, this is the last clutch kit I'll buy from Carolina Clutch. The reman pressure plate wasn't flat and round at the edges, which is what caused this issue in the first place. The bolts were being used to make the edges conform to the shape/dimensions of the step where it sets in the flywheel.

But, all's well that ends well. I think I have just enough time to get the fork installed and stab the tranny before I have to get cleaned up and call it a day. Yee hah!

Rzeppa

07-06-2006, 05:57 PM

Yesterday, I got this bright idea to get one of those "load leveler" dohickies for the end of my cherry picker so I could point the assembled engine/bellhousing/tranny/t-case forward or backward, up or down. After I brought it home, I went about installing it on the end of my cherry picker. It came with two wimpy chains, so I decided to use my more robust chains, but they were too long. I cut one in half and used the two ends on the new toy. Then I put the tranny on my creeper and edged it up to the engine, with the engine suspended at the same height as the tranny input shaft. I used some scrap 2x6 pieces of lumber to keep the tranny level.

Rzeppa

07-06-2006, 06:17 PM

It took a lot of wrangling as I sat astride of the tranny to get the input shaft started into the splines of the friction plate. As the splines finally engaged, I heard a scraping noise but didn't think about it, I was sweaty and tired. I knew that I had the friction plate aligned with the pilot bearing with the alignment tool prior to starting the procedure, and it *should* just be a matter of tightening things down, pressing the end of the tranny input shaft into the center race of the pilot bearing. I had gotten a set of four 12mm x 1.25mm x 40 mm bolts at the hardware store in the morning, since I couldn't find any spare sets in my parts stashes. They didn't reach yet to get the threads started, so I continued to manhandle the tranny into the clutch.

Using c-clamps on the lower ears, I was able to get the tranny input shaft farther into the friction plate, and got the bolts started. I used the bolts to pull the tranny into the clutch. After a certain point, the tranny was about 1/4" from the bellhousing and tightening the bolts was getting harder and harder. They required way more torque than I knew was necessary; something was wrong. I took a break and stared at the whole thing for a while, trying to think of what might be wrong. After a bit of thought, I realized that the scraping noise I heard may have been the friction plate slipping out of center, and that the nose of the tranny input shaft was now trying to press into the side of the pilot bearing.

I looked at my watch and realized I had a meeting to get ready for, so I loosened the bolts and called it a night. The photo below is as far as I got.

Rzeppa

07-06-2006, 06:34 PM

This morning, I took the tranny back off and peered into the clutch with a drop light, and sure enough, the friction plate had shifted when I engaged the splines. After carefully checking that the pilot bearing wasn't damaged and still spun smoothly, I loosened the clutch and recentered the friction plate with an alignment tool.

Then, I used utmost patience before using brute force to stab the tranny. I got out a bullet level, and carefully tweaked both the height and the angle of the engine to precisely match the tranny input shaft and SHAZZAM! Click, it went right in like a two dollar...well you know what I mean ;-)

Before I took this photo, I had snugged up the tranny bolts and added a new rubber boot to the clutch fork. The boot didn't want to slip on until I remembered the window gasket trick of using window cleaner on the edges. In the lower photo, the boot for the unused passenger side is installed. You can see the clutch slave mounting bosses in the bellhousing engine mount ear, so I am guessing these are 4 speed mounting ears. The driver's side one, where I will have to mount my 3-speed slave may not be right, so if necessary I'll swap it out when I pull the one out of the rig.

Rzeppa

07-06-2006, 06:42 PM

Yee hah! Engine, clutch and tranny are finally one! I jacked the whole thing up to test out the new load leveler, it worked great so far. We'll see how it behaves with a t-case on the back of the tranny! Notice in the lower photo how the load leveler is adjusted so that even with the tranny in the rear, the whole assembly is level.

Rzeppa

07-06-2006, 06:50 PM

Stupid hardware store bolts are DIN/ISO, which means that m12 threads have 19mm heads instead of the proper 17mm heads, This creates clearance problems in a lot of places. When I pull the 3-speed, I'll swap these out, but they hold down the fort for now.

Rezarf

07-06-2006, 08:34 PM

Looks GREAT! Jeff, keep it up man, looks like you are in the home stretch now... glad to see it coming together.

Drew

Rzeppa

07-10-2006, 04:58 PM

Before I pulled the old engine, I peeked inside my t-case to see if I had a PTO gear. Sure enough, there it is. I checked into getting a spacer, but John at Coyote Cruisers and Jeremiah Proffitt both said to just make one from some tubing or pipe, so I picked up some 1.25" sch40 at Home Depot.

Rzeppa

07-10-2006, 05:08 PM

I had to take the tranny hump out to get to the linkages to unhook them. Of course that means taking the seats out and lifting the fuel tank. Notice the double nuts on the linkage on the right. That's because one day the nut fell off, leaving me with only 2nd and 3rd gear, no first or reverse. That was fun getting home that day.

Rzeppa

07-10-2006, 05:11 PM

I took a couple shots of the clutch slave so I could remember how it's supposed to mount. It'll be a little different when I put it back because of getting rid of the tranny linkages.

Rzeppa

07-10-2006, 05:13 PM

I also photographed the t-case range linkage, again to see what it's supposed to look like when I put everything back together. The photo at the bottom is the rod that I will have to cut and lengthen to accomodate the longer 4 speed tranny.

Rzeppa

07-10-2006, 05:18 PM

Every time I turned around, there was still something else that needed to be disconnected or somehow removed. It took longer than I expected, but then that's always how these things go.

Rzeppa

07-10-2006, 05:23 PM

Finally, I got the cherry picker in place and started lifting. Working by myself, it literally took hours - most of a day. I was using a 5 foot pipe as a pry bar to try to manuever the unwieldy assembly. There were still a few things that I had to disconnect or remove as I slowly worked it out. The engine mounting ears on the bellhousing kept bumping into things like the steering box on one side and the splash shield on the other.

Rzeppa

07-10-2006, 05:39 PM

I was SO happy to get that sucker clear of the rig. What a PITA! Now that I've done both ways, I don't know which is harder: pulling the engine/tranny/t-case as one unit, or engine only and then trying to stab the tranny while it's in the rig. They're both a pain. The only way that was easy was when I did my 76: with the body off! On that one I laid the engine in first, then stabbed the tranny using the cherry picker, then stabbed the t-case last.

I was also really glad to get the thing down close to the floor. That's a lot of weight up high, and a lot of potential for trouble if anything bad happened.

Rezarf

07-10-2006, 07:49 PM

Yeah, an extra set of hands on a jack make all the difference. Looks like a huge jump in progress, hope to see it come together quickly for you Jeff!

Keep up the great work.

Drew

Rzeppa

07-12-2006, 09:49 AM

Yesterday I went about cleaning up the exterior of the t-case. What a mess! Took pretty much all morning to get enough gunk off that I felt comfortable opening it up. I took the e-brake off the back and popped the inspection cover to get at the two inside bolts.

Rzeppa

07-12-2006, 09:52 AM

After I got the bolts off, I couldn't believe how easy it was to slide off the tranny output shaft. All the other t-cases I've pulled need a puller, but this one slid right off with my hands.

Rzeppa

07-12-2006, 09:55 AM

There's your tranny, Wes! Needs a little cleaning up, but the bearings are in good shape and it shifts smooth. I was surprised at how little the splines on the output shaft were. Usually that's why t-cases are hard to pull: the splines on the output shaft get worn and mated to the t-case input gear.

Rzeppa

07-12-2006, 09:57 AM

Clutch, flywheel and bellhousing off.

Rzeppa

07-12-2006, 10:00 AM

Got it up on a stand to free up the cherry picker to use with the freshened engine. Last night, I got as far as loosening the manifolds to transfer to the freshened engine, and discovered that two of the three bolts that hold the exhaust and intake manifolds to each other were missing. Can anyone say "exhaust leak"? Anyway, I called it a night. Today I'll go looking for some bolts that will fit and pick up where I left off.

wesintl

07-12-2006, 10:16 AM

Are you using the 3 speed xfer off the one you just pulled?

Rzeppa

07-12-2006, 01:39 PM

Are you using the 3 speed xfer off the one you just pulled?Exactly; that's why I needed to get the 16 spline transition gear & Datsun B210 bearing. For the vacuum front drive mechanism I can just re-route the hoses, in fact it looks like I may be able to just re-bend the vacuum hard lines, they have a lot of service length. For the high-low shift rod, I plan to cut it and weld in a length of 1/2" square tube to lengthen it.

I got some 1/2 NPT fittings and a steam valve to replace the heater valve where it comes off the head, and just discovered that the close nipple I got won't allow me to thread the valve in and clear the rockers, so it's off to the hardware store I go.

Another snag: I discovered I had used my last cork valve cover gasket so I'm going to try to make do with a rubber 2F valve cover gasket.

Looks like I'm going to have to blow off the blow off work run...oh well.

subzali

07-12-2006, 11:38 PM

Aren't you just glad you didn't try and fit this in before Spring Creek? Tonight I kinda ran into the same problem and instead of trying to beat the dealership to closing time I went home and got my parking brake disassembled and got two of my new brake lines installed! :thumb: Looking good Jeff! :thumb:

Rzeppa

07-12-2006, 11:59 PM

Aren't you just glad you didn't try and fit this in before Spring Creek? Tonight I kinda ran into the same problem and instead of trying to beat the dealership to closing time I went home and got my parking brake disassembled and got two of my new brake lines installed! :thumb: Looking good Jeff! :thumb:Actually I did (try to get it done before Spring Creek), but vendors made the decision for me by getting parts in too late. Next "deadline" was today's run, but since I wasn't leading it was easier to blow it off and keep spinning wrenches. More photos soon!

Red_Chili

07-13-2006, 08:15 AM

Valve cover gasket the easy way: an RTV product called The Right Stuff. Brian Ellinger at Front Range Off Road Fab turned me on to it. Comes in a Cheez-Whiz can. Very nice stuff.

nuclearlemon

07-13-2006, 09:36 AM

Valve cover gasket the easy way: an RTV product called The Right Stuff. Brian Ellinger at Front Range Off Road Fab turned me on to it. Comes in a Cheez-Whiz can. Very nice stuff.
the cheeswhiz can is what permatex calls their powerbead line...you can actually get many of the rtv products in the powerbead containers. the right stuff is awesome stuff. our permatex rep gave me some when i complained that regular permatex wouldn't keep my rear oilbath lockout hubs from leaking. it did the trick. i've got it in caulk tubes.

Rzeppa

07-13-2006, 10:31 AM

Valve cover gasket the easy way: an RTV product called The Right Stuff. Brian Ellinger at Front Range Off Road Fab turned me on to it. Comes in a Cheez-Whiz can. Very nice stuff.I'll have to check it out some time. What I ended up doing was put a very thin bead of permatex ultra blue around the edges of the valve cover while it was upside down, then sticking the 2F rubber gasket to it. It turns out that the cross section of the rubber 2F gasket fits the cross section of the stamped steel F valve cover fairly well. I *think* it's going to work, I went ahead and installed it last night. If it leaks a little but the engine runs when I get it in, that will be fine, I can always replace it pretty easy.

Red_Chili

07-13-2006, 01:39 PM

the cheeswhiz can is what permatex calls their powerbead line...you can actually get many of the rtv products in the powerbead containers. the right stuff is awesome stuff. our permatex rep gave me some when i complained that regular permatex wouldn't keep my rear oilbath lockout hubs from leaking. it did the trick. i've got it in caulk tubes.
Yeah, Brian Ellinger got tired of diff seepage every time he smacked a boulder (and Brian is fully capable of sssssSSSSSSSMACKING boulders). No more problems since starting to use the Right Stuff stuff.

Rzeppa

07-13-2006, 09:11 PM

I didn't do jack today, but here's pix and narrative from yesterday's work. Before I discover that something's terribly wrong with the oiling system, I prelubed everything by spinning the oil pump with an electric drill. I got a couple barb fittings and some tubing to observe the flow through the oil filter circuit before I installed the oil filter.

On F engines, oil is diverted from the main gallery to both the crank and the oil filter. Part goes through the oil filter and is then dumped back into the pan, and part goes through the crank, then the cam, and then up to the rockers. On 2F engines, it all goes through the filter before the crank.

Rzeppa

07-13-2006, 09:15 PM

To replace the non-functioning heater control valve, I got a steam fitting valve from the hardware store and related fittings. I know I can put a ball valve in the cab, and may do so some day, but I wanted to replace the factory functionality first. I had originally got a close nipple for the section between the head and the valve, but the valve handle stuck out too far to tighten it: it would hit the rocker assemby. So another trip to the hardware store yielded a 2" nipple, just enough to clear the rockers while tightening the threads. BTW, all these threads for the water jacket on the head are 1/2 NPT.

Rzeppa

07-13-2006, 09:23 PM

I did get a lot done yesterday and last night. Manifolds installed, carb, alternator, radiator hoses, heater hose, oil filter, bracket and lines, PCV hose and valve, coil and ballast resistor, starter motor and ground strap, fuel pump and fuel line, valve cover. I got new points from Stevinson for the dist, and discovered that they were very much "roll your own". As in, they weren't just a single assembly, they were two separate parts. I was tired and didn't feel like dealing with that. I didn't put them in, although I did get and install a new cap and rotor. The old points were worn but still servicable, I'll deal with that at some other time.

I went to put the dist in and it just didn't seem right. Yes, I had the oil pump engaged, but it kept seeming like it was one tooth retarded, so I gave up around midnight.

wesintl

07-14-2006, 11:21 AM

There's your tranny, Wes! Needs a little cleaning up, but the bearings are in good shape and it shifts smooth. I was surprised at how little the splines on the output shaft were. Usually that's why t-cases are hard to pull: the splines on the output shaft get worn and mated to the t-case input gear.

Yeah.. my xfer fell right off too. Are you going to be around sat morning? I have some errands to run all over town and I'd like to get it mostly back together this weekend.:cheers:

Rzeppa

07-14-2006, 01:36 PM

Yeah.. my xfer fell right off too. Are you going to be around sat morning? I have some errands to run all over town and I'd like to get it mostly back together this weekend.:cheers:Yes, I plan to be. I just got the spacer cut for the t-case to replace the PTO gear, now I need to clean up the cuts and get the length to the same 1.918" that the PTO gear was. Then get the t-case back on today and install tomorrow. I was just looking in the engine compartment and realized I still have a few more tasks in there before I hoist the whole mess in there. Oh yeah, just remembered...gotta put new shoes in the parking brake. Unless I cut my crossmember off I won't be going in there any time soon ;-)

But yeah, the plan is to start positioning the engine into the rig Saturday morning, so I'll be around. Bonus for you! SOR sent me a 3 speed front tranny seal instead of the 4 speed seal I ordered, so it's all yours...

Rzeppa

07-14-2006, 06:34 PM

This morning I got the distributor positioned properly, after a few tries. Note how the rotor is positioned, pointing right at the middle bolt of the side cover, per the FSM. After that, the FSM has you rotate the body of the dist until the points are just starting to open, as shown in the photo. This will give plenty of rotation for static advance if needed, before the vacuum diaphragm hits the dipstick tube.

The bottom photo is with the cap, plugs, plug wires, and the rest of the ignition wiring in place.

Rzeppa

07-14-2006, 06:36 PM

When I took the motor out, I noticed that the (usual) driver's side motor mount had broken. I swapped the good passenger side over to the driver's side, and JB Welded the other one, which will be installed on the passenger side where it won't see any tension, only compression.

Rzeppa

07-14-2006, 06:43 PM

This is the spacer I made from 1.25 sch40 pipe, shown next to the PTO gear it will replace. The PTO gear was 1.918, the spacer is 1.924, I don't think the .006" difference will cause a problem. The way the helical cut gears of the input geat and the idler work, is the torque of the engine forces the input gear rearward into the spacer and then into the inner race of the input shaft bearing. There is another spacer which goes behind the bearing which is secured with a large flat washer and a stake nut to the end of the input shaft. This is where everything gets pushed. As long as there is some play in the assembly (I measured .050" when I took it out), all's well.

I took quite a bit of time making sure the ends were square and even. In the photo you can see a little divot from where the bench grinder caught it, but on the end it's pretty flat. I measured about .002" out of flat, and figured that's about the best I can do without a lathe.

Rzeppa

07-14-2006, 06:50 PM

Here's a photo of the Datsun B210 bearing. I measured it carefully inside and out before driving it in. It turns out that the coarse 10 spline output shaft of the 3 speed tranny is just a little bigger than the fine, 16 spline 4 speed input shaft, hence the need for the special bearing.

In the bottom photo, the tranny-to-transfer case seal is installed. There has been some debate about which way the lip is supposed to face, toward the tranny or toward the t-case. The factory one I took out had the seal facing the tranny (outward from the t-case housing), so that's how I put the new one in. I didn't drive it in, I took the old one out with my fingers and put the new one in with my fingers; I didn't want to mess up the lip.

Rzeppa

07-14-2006, 06:53 PM

I got the t-case, gear, spacer and bearing all slid onto the tranny output shaft. I peeked inside to see how the spacer looked. All was well, but I couldn't get the bolts threaded in. The only one I could get started was the lower one on the inside. I took the whole mess back out to make sure the bolts had the proper threads. They did and I tried again, still to no avail.

Rzeppa

07-14-2006, 06:57 PM

On a hunch, I took a bolt out of the t-case of my 76 resto and compared it to the one from my 71. Sure enough, it was longer! It turns out that the threads in the 3 speed tranny start right at the tranny housing, but on the 4 speed H42 they start a ways inside. A call to Stevinson and I have the longer bolts on order, and will steal the ones off my 76 just for this project, so I can get it done this weekend.

Very important tip! If you are doing a 4 speed swap from a 3 speed rig, you need to obtain the bolts from a 4 speed rig to fasten the t-case to the tranny! The only one which you will be able to re-use is the lower inside bolt. The three long top ones and the upper inside one need to be for a 4 speed application!

Rzeppa

07-16-2006, 11:03 AM

Well, I hit another roadblock yesterday. I went to install the spacer, washer and nut onto the back of the tranny output shaft, and they didn't fit! The top photo shows them being held next to the 3-speed tranny output shaft. Note how the shaft has a smaller diameter splined section in the rear. The spacer has a step inside too. The spacer is very thick walled, the locking washer has a tab to go into the keyway in the shaft, and the only provision to lock the nut is with the locking washer.

In the bottom photo, I am holding the same spacer next to the 4-speed output shaft. The ID of the spacer is too small, there is no keyway in the shaft to use the locking washer, and the nut has coarser threads than the shaft's threads.

Rzeppa

07-16-2006, 11:13 AM

Well, I figured since the bolts from my 76 resto saved me on this before, I'd just steal the spacer, washer and nut off of it. I took them out of the 76 and put them onto the 71. The ID fit, and the nut fit (it's the exact same stake nuts that are used on pinions), but the spacer was too long! At this point I had one spacer that was too small ID, another one that was too long, and still had some of that sch40 1.25 pipe leftover from making the spacer for the inside. As to why the 4 speed spacer was too long, the only things I could think of was that the Datsun bearing must be thicker than the stock bearing, or that the inside of the 3 speed case was shallower than a 4-speed case? I didn't measure the thickness before I put it in, and I didn't feel like pulling the whole mess out to find out. But the important thing is that on the inside, the input gear is perfectly lined up with the idler gear when everything is forced onto the race of the bearing, so I figured the bearing must be in the right position.

The photo below shows the 4-speed spacer, and how if I had used it, there wouldn't be enough threads engaged on the stake nut to allow it to be staked to the groove on the end of the tranny output shaft:

Rzeppa

07-16-2006, 11:23 AM

One option would have been to take everything apart and shorten the inside spacer, the one I made to take the place of the PTO gear. That would move everything forward and allow the use of the 4 speed rear spacer, by moving the bearing forward in the case. The option I chose however, was to make yet another custom spacer from my pipe.

The length of spacer to get the nut in the right spot on the output shaft to get a good stake and yet hold it snug against the bearing race was 1.330". I took a "belts and suspenders" approach and used some lock tight on the threads before I snugged the nut down. The bottom photo is the whole thing installed with the nut staked.

Shortly after I cut the spacer, Wes showed up and we ended up chatting for a good long time. By the time I got around to installing it, it was getting late and I gave up for the evening.

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 12:46 AM

I went ahead and cleaned up and painted the rear t-case cover, then installed it and the inspection cover.

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 12:48 AM

While I still had everything out and the tranny hump off, I scraped and cleaned up a bunch of stuff on the floorboards, framerails and everywhere else I could reach easily.

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 12:50 AM

I *think* this is the right bracket for the clutch slave...

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 12:51 AM

I'll have to use one of these two threaded holes for the high/low shift linkage.

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 12:58 AM

I took a photo of the e-brake before I took it apart to install the new OEM shoes, so I could remember how all the parts go together. It turned out that the new shoes had thicker frames than the ones that were in there, which explained why I couldn't get the c-clips into the grooves on the pins. After WAY too much time trying to get them in, I finally compared the frame thicknesses (second photo), and found out the problem.

So I resigned myself to having to reuse the old shoes. What I did was resurface the old shoe surfaces with a medium 3M abrasive wheel, the lower two photos are before (massively glazed) and after (like new) shoe surfaces.

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 01:02 AM

Scott Yoder (Jaderunner on this forum) came over this evening to help me put the engine in. With the bellhousing, clutch, tranny and t-case hanging off the back it was an unwieldy thousand pounds of metal. The load leveler was helpful to a point, but the rear chains proved to be a problem: we couldn't get it far enough back before the rear chain would hit against the firewall.

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 01:06 AM

We got the front passenger side mount bolted up, then worked on getting the other three lined up. Using a five foot pipe as a lever, we almost got them lined up before my JB Welded motor mount broke again.

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 01:09 AM

Using one floor jack under the t-case and another one under the tranny, I took the load leveler off and substituted a single chain on the front engine hook. With this approach, we were able to get the other three motor mounts fastened. Then we hoisted a Molsen and called it a good night.

Shark Bait

07-18-2006, 10:21 AM

Jeff,

Are you sure about your clutch slave bracket pic/caption? The next picture looks like the one to me.

I have several newer style motor mounts if you need some. And I've got a ton of extra motor mount brackets, too.

JadeRunner

07-18-2006, 10:42 AM

Sorry I broke the motor mount. I wasn't using enough finesse with the big pry bar I guess.

Let us know that the engine fired up this morning.

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 01:48 PM

Jeff,

Are you sure about your clutch slave bracket pic/caption? The next picture looks like the one to me.
#93 is the driver's side, where the 3 speed slave will go. #94 is the passenger side, where a 4 speed slave would go. I went back and looked at my earlier pix of the still-mounted slave, and I'm just not sure, but fortunately I have all the bits that came off of it. There was a bunch of column shift linkage stuff on the slave mount area, not sure what gets re-used and what doesn't.

I have several newer style motor mounts if you need some. And I've got a ton of extra motor mount brackets, too.I may have to take you up on that. Right now I have 3 options (make that 4 with your offer, thanks Chris!). (1) leave it as-is for now. It's the compression (passenger) side and probably won't make much difference, I can replace it some other time, (2) steal one off my 76 and order in another one to replace it (3) order in a new one and wait however long for it to come in (next Monday most likely), or see about coming down to your place and bumming one off you.

At this point I haven't decided yet. Scott and I worked pretty late last night and I'm a little burned out on wrenching, I'll see about getting back after it later this afternoon. At a minimum I want to see if the engine will fire up and run on all 6 cylinders before I start bolting everything back up.

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 01:50 PM

Sorry I broke the motor mount. I wasn't using enough finesse with the big pry bar I guess.No worries mate, I really appreciated the help. It would have been a real bear to do by myself.

Let us know that the engine fired up this morning.Haven't tried yet. As I wrote in my reply to Chris, I'm kinda burned out on wrenching and needed a morning to rest and recharge before I get back after it.

wesintl

07-18-2006, 02:06 PM

Sorry I broke the motor mount. I wasn't using enough finesse with the big pry bar I guess.

I jinxed that motor mount. :eek: So, it's not all your fault. :o

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 02:12 PM

I jinxed that motor mount. :eek: So, it's not all your fault. :oActually, there was an unbelievable amount of upward and sideways force on it when it let go. I was jacking the front of the engine up a few pumps at the same time Scott was trying to rotate the entire assembly with the long pry bar. When it went, there was a big boom like a birfield breaking, and it separated by at least an inch or so. The JB weld actually held up, it tore the rubber just below where it was JB welded.

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 04:37 PM

Yeeee Haawwwwww! I just started it up and it runs on all cylinders! Good oil pressure, no horrible noises (other than the exhaust isn't hooked up yet). Yippie!

Hulk

07-18-2006, 04:50 PM

Cool! That's always a great feeling. :thumb:

wesintl

07-18-2006, 05:15 PM

Nice job Jeff. Not too long before it's moving under it's own power

Shark Bait

07-18-2006, 07:08 PM

I may have to take you up on that. Right now I have 3 options (make that 4 with your offer, thanks Chris!). (1) leave it as-is for now. It's the compression (passenger) side and probably won't make much difference, I can replace it some other time, (2) steal one off my 76 and order in another one to replace it (3) order in a new one and wait however long for it to come in (next Monday most likely), or see about coming down to your place and bumming one off you.

They're in will-call at A-1. :)

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 07:14 PM

They're in will-call at A-1. :)Thanks Chris! If all goes well this evening and tomorrow morning, I might be able to drive the rig down there to pick them up. I discovered another D'oh! just now. I neglected to put my e-brake on before I put the engine in, and there isn't enough clearance in front of the rear crossmember. I'm gonna try Ige's suggestion of hoisting the front up to tilt the rear down. If that doesn't work, out comes the sawzall...

Shark Bait

07-18-2006, 07:57 PM

Yeah. I had to Sawzall and chisel and stuff to clearance the brake drum on my '69 with the SM420..

It's interesting that at least 3 of us are building rigs. You, me and Ian. :rolleyes:

Rzeppa

07-18-2006, 11:05 PM

Yeah. I had to Sawzall and chisel and stuff to clearance the brake drum on my '69 with the SM420..Looks like it's going to be sawzall time for me. I tried Ige's suggestion of lifting the front of the assembly to lower the rear to clear the crossmember. I got the backing plate on but couldn't get the drum on. Did you sculpt your crossmember or cut it out entirely?It's interesting that at least 3 of us are building rigs. You, me and Ian. :rolleyes:LOL! Actually I'm *still* building my 76 too, even though I haven't worked on it in months. DDs always get priority ;-)

Rzeppa

07-23-2006, 09:06 PM

So I ended up cutting off the crossmember. Lance at Iron Pig suggested cutting it, then welding on bolt-on plates. Part of the reason for this is that the frame gets wider and wider as you go back. Another part of this, is that you can unbolt the cut-out section of crossmember whenever you need to access your e-brake. The top photo is where I cut it off flush with the inside frame rail. The next photo is where I cut it off well inside the frame rail on the other side. The reason for this is two-fold. One is to clear the exhaust, the other is because of the angle of the tubing there. The bottom photo is the farked up sawzall blades when I was done ;-)

Rzeppa

07-23-2006, 09:12 PM

I didn't really have any 3/16 plate handy, just 1/4" diamond plate and 16 ga (.060) sheet metal, so I used the flat part of some 5" c-channel I have leftover from my front bumper project. It was about .200 thick, pretty close to what I wanted. It takes a long time to cut, even with a chop saw, so I use bungee cords to keep tension while I go about other parts of the project. It's kind of like one of those gravity-fed bandsaws, just not as clean and not nearly as quiet. I use masking tape to mark where to cut, it are easy to see through the goggles, and stretch to make a straight line. The plates will be 3.25x3.25.

Rzeppa

07-23-2006, 09:25 PM

Over the last several weeks, my air compressor has been dying a slow death, taking forever to get back up to pressure. Day before yesterday, it decided that it wasn't going to make more than about 50 PSI, plus take forever to get back there. I was getting more and more frustrated every time I needed to use air tools, and finally decided to install the rebuild kit I had gotten a couple weeks ago. The first photo is what I saw when I took the plastic covers off. The next one is what the head and cylinder sleeve looked like when I took them off. In the middle photo, you can see that the piston's ring looks a lot like the F engine rings looked like when I dismantled those engines. No wonder it couldn't make any pressure!

Next, I have installed the new piston and sleeve, and in the bottom two photos you can see each side of what the air compressor's head looks like. It has flapper check valves on each side, one set for intake and the other to exhaust into the tank.

This whole rebuild took less than half an hour. I'm really glad I did it, because I still need compressed air for the rest of this project, and others beyond!

Rzeppa

07-23-2006, 09:29 PM

After the air compressor was rejuvinated, the next thing I needed to do was to clearance the hi-lo shifter lever on top of the t-case. It was hitting on a body crossmember, so I used an air chisel to cut the crossmember section out. I also had to bend the lever itself downward a little to clear the remaining, uncut body crossmember. You can't tell in these photos, but the front of the engine is held up, tipping the tranny and t-case down, pivoted on the bellhousing mounts. When the front is down on the engine mounts, there wasn't any clearance for the shifter.

Rzeppa

07-23-2006, 09:32 PM

To lengthen the hi/lo shifter rod, I cut it, then welded in a section of 1/2" square tube.

Rzeppa

07-23-2006, 09:34 PM

For the vacuum 4WD shifting mechanism, I got some 3/8 hose and cut it to 7.5" and connected it to the hardline barbs for the t-case and chassis lines.

Rzeppa

07-23-2006, 09:39 PM

I put the tranny hump in as lined up as it would go on top of the 4 speed shift tower. Then I got underneath and marked all around with a sharpie. I took it back out and the laid out the boot frame and marked around it for where to cut the hole.

In the middle photo, you can see where I cut (poorly with the sawzall) the hole, and welded in the M6x1.00 nuts. After I was done, I threw a coat of Krylon Celery paint on the whole mess.

Rzeppa

07-23-2006, 09:47 PM

After I cut all four crossmember plates, I ground them to nominally square and even. Next, I stacked them, clamped them and drilled pilot holes for the four mounting holes.

Hulk

07-25-2006, 03:19 AM

So you're going to floor shift for the tranny, but maintaining the vacuum shift for the transfer case? Why not make both floor shift?

Great write up!

Rzeppa

07-25-2006, 09:28 AM

So you're going to floor shift for the tranny, but maintaining the vacuum shift for the transfer case? Why not make both floor shift?(1) It would be even more work, (2) More parts to procure, (3) I like the existing arrangement.Great write up!Thanks! I wish there had been something this detailed available before I started. Little things like the t-case bolts and the rear t-case spacer wouldn't have been such surprises. In any case, after I finish I'll move the whole article over to my own web space...after seeing how many views this thing has gotten I can only imagine how much B/W this is costing us ;-)

Rzeppa

07-26-2006, 03:12 PM

After I drilled pilot holes into the stack of 4 plates, I picked one and clamped it to where I will weld it to the inside frame rail. I used the existing pilot holes as markers to drill pilot holes through the frame rail, so they line up precisely. These plates are also marked so I know the exact orientation.

There are always a lot of stupid little times sinks in any project like this. For example, when I was drilling the pilot holes in the frame rail, it was taking forever. I finally took a break, got out my drill doctor and sharpened the bit. It ultimately took less time to get out the drill doctor, sharpen the bit and put the drill doctor away, than it would have taken if I just kept struggling with a dull bit.

Rzeppa

07-26-2006, 03:15 PM

Next, I drilled two plates at 17/64 to tap for M8x1.25 threads, and two plates with 3/8 through holes. I also drilled the inside of the frame rail at 17/64 for the M8 tap. Then I tapped the two plates, and then clamped one to the inside frame rail and tapped all the way through the frame. There wasn't enough clearance for the t-handle so I had to use an open end wrench to turn the tap.

Rzeppa

07-26-2006, 03:19 PM

Here's the plate welded to the frame. I couldn't get a solid bead because I didn't want too much heat going on here. To the left is the fuel line, where you can see a makeshift heat shield I made out scrap sheet metal. Along the top is a brake line and a section of wiring harness, which I didn't want to overheat. So basically I used the same techniques I use when welding sheet metal and don't want to get it so hot that it warps the metal. Another thing I did is after every few weld spots, I blasted it with compressed air to cool it down. Combined with the threads through the frame rail itself, I'm pretty sure it will hold up.

Rzeppa

07-26-2006, 03:22 PM

I welded nuts to the back side of the other threaded plate, then I used magnets to position it for welding. You can see how I marked the plates for orientation: when they were clamped together in a stack, I ground a groove along one set of edges, seen at the bottom of the photo, then I made a small mark with a sharpie pen on the "top" of each of the plates. This assures that all four holes will line up, since I don't have CNC equipment to do precision machining.

Rzeppa

07-26-2006, 03:26 PM

I bolted the free plates to the welded plates to figure out how much to trim the crossmember. Not shown, is how much time it took to get the ends of the crossmember perfectly lined up and exactly the right length. I guessed that it should have taken about 15 minutes to a half hour, but it actually took more like 2 hours. After I cut the ends rough with the chop saw, I kept grinding, test fitting and grinding some more until it was just right. Then I tacked it, took it out and welded up some good beads.

It is a LOT easier to weld downward than upward! When you are welding on the underside of something, the molten puddle keeps wanting to drip down. These beads aren't a work of art like Ian's, but they'll do.

Rzeppa

07-26-2006, 03:35 PM

After the welding, I painted the crossmember and welded plates with some zero rust and set it aside to dry while I busied myself with other tasks. I connected the speedometer cable to the t-case (it reaches!) and connected the e-brake cable to the lever under the dash. The latter was a total PITA, trying to get the eye end of the cable in exactly the right location to slide the pin through. Anyone who's worked under a dash will tell you what fun it is...not! The little blue objects at the lower left are where I tore pieces off my gloves.

I spent quite a bit of time adjusting the clutch slave rod. It needed to be lengthened as far as it would go, and it's just close quarters in there. It's located right above the driver's side engine mount ear and it's hard to get vice grips positioned to grab onto the shaft to hold it while you turn the adjusting endcap.

I connected the 4 speed reverse light switch to the existing wiring near where the 3 speed linkage used to be near the steering box. The old switch never worked unless you held the shift lever a certain way, so it will be cool having backup lights again!

After the wiring, I went to put the tranny hump in. Even with the hole cut for the shift tower and the fuel tank held up out of the way, it was still a struggle to get it in there up under the back of the heater. The 4 speed tranny sits taller than the old 3 speed did.

Rzeppa

07-27-2006, 11:06 AM

It took a while to get the tranny hump bolted in. I ended up having to clearance the hump hole by making small cut-outs with a dremel for a couple of the tranny top plate bolts. Next I put the shifter in. The top photo shows the order they go in, and shows why you need to rotate clockwise for removal and counterclockwise for install. It's tough to put in or take out without the SST, as that little spring takes a good bit of downward force to compress enough to get the slots lined up with the pins inside the shift tower. I made a makeshift SST with a short section of 1.5" pipe with teeth cut into the end to get some bite on the dome.

After that, I installed the boot. At the bottom edge you can see a little section where I had to cut a little out to clear a tranny top plate bolt.

Rzeppa

07-27-2006, 11:09 AM

Next I installed the crossmember. It's in exactly the factory location, and there is about a half inch of clearance between the rear of the e-brake drum and the bottom of the crossmember. If I need to service the e-brake, now I just have to unbolt that section of crossmember.

Rzeppa

07-27-2006, 11:11 AM

After I installed the exhaust, I spent some time rerouting the speedo cable, e-brake cable and reverse switch wiring. Previously, they had been too close to the exhaust and part of the e-brake cable jacket had melted. Also, they were laying across the clutch fork, and I didn't want them rubbing.

Rzeppa

07-27-2006, 11:17 AM

I went to install the driveshafts, and noticed that the stupid driveshaft shop had installed the new u-joint I gave them 180° wrong. It's tough to see in the photo, but the zerk on the righthand u-joint is oriented downward and should be upward, opposite the one on the left. I started to R&R it, but then decided to just put it in for now. I'll take it back out later and make them put the u-joint in right.

Rzeppa

07-27-2006, 11:28 AM

After the driveshafts, I filled the tranny and t-case with 90wt and went back to the engine compartment. The rest went pretty fast: battery, radiator, fill coolant, front bib, puke tank, air cleaner and PCV breather. I put the driver's seat in, but was anxious to take her for a test drive so I didn't bother with the passenger seat.

I drove her around the block and immediately noticed not much power, an exhaust leak and that the clutch disengages right at the floor. After a good warm-up, I pulled back in and tightened up the downpipe flange and manifold, set the timing (14° is where I ended up) and lengthened the clutch pedal rod as far as it would go. After it had cooled down a bit I topped off the coolant now that the t-stat had a chance to open.

Then I drove down to the gas station and filled up (almost $48! Yikes!), and drove around some more. The clutch doesn't feel right, but it does work. I'll never buy another clutch from Carolina Clutch - the reman pressure plate didn't fit right to begin with, and I am guessing that they didn't adjust the height of the fingers properly. There's some gear noise from the timing gears - couple of chipped teeth and mismatch, they'll wear in after a few thou miles. The lifters are a little noisy, hopefully they'll wear in too. With the timing advanced more the pep and power is good. Oil pressure is good, temperature is good, no spewing leaks. I'll drive her some more today and go back in to do a hot adjustment on the valves, and inspect for good oil to the rockers.

Anyway, she's back to driving under her own power. 4WD works, hi/lo range works, no major issues. Besides adjusting the valves, I still need to put the passenger seat and front floor mats in, figure out what to do about skid plates (3-speed vs modified 4-speed plate) and put the spare back on.

Once I get this article onto my own web space, I'll edit my first post with a link to it. Happy cruisin'!

Hulk

07-28-2006, 02:31 PM

Congrats, Jeff! Your write up was great, and I'm sure that you're glad to be 99.9% finished with the job. How do you like the floor shift?

Rzeppa

07-28-2006, 04:59 PM

Congrats, Jeff! Your write up was great, and I'm sure that you're glad to be 99.9% finished with the job. How do you like the floor shift?Thanks Matt. Yes, I am VERY glad for this project to be done. I don't like some of the sounds I hear when I drive her, but I know some of them will go away: the new transition in the t-case mated with the old idler make a heck of a whine. Same with the mismatched new cam and old crank timing gears, plus there's tooth or two chipped on the crank timing gear from a long time ago which is audible. The lifters are noisy, hopefully that will settle down as they wear in to their new home. There's still a small exhaust leak, I am going to try using two donuts instead of just one on the down pipe. I hate the clutch, but it works. I should have reused the old pressure plate, but how can you know? I have both the slave rod and the pedal rod adjusted as far as they will go, but the disengagement point is still right near the floor. I may see if I can readjust the pressure plate fingers from underneath with the dust cover off. The floor shift is same-same as my 76 and 78, in fact the tranny came out of the 76, so nothing new there. I miss the three on the tree, leaving the hump uncluttered for the knees of a middle passenger in the front bench seat, but AFAIK they don't make a four on the tree ;-)

I drove her to the store and back today, total of 30 miles on the clock since the rebuild, so far so good. It's nice having enough compression that I can take my foot off the pedal when going downhill and she slows down. She's got good power and doesn't vibrate, despite the untoward noises. The power will likely improve as the rings seat in with the honed cylinder walls; at that point I will probably have to back off on the timing advance as the compression increases.

IanB

07-29-2006, 07:48 AM

Interesting crossmember design, I like the bolt on idea. I have to build one myself, do you see the load on the factory coss member as being tension, compression, shear or twist?

Rzeppa

07-29-2006, 09:51 AM

Interesting crossmember design, I like the bolt on idea. I have to build one myself, do you see the load on the factory coss member as being tension, compression, shear or twist?My educated guess is that it's mostly twist, as in up and down rather than on-axis of the crossmember itself. Consider when the rear axle is articulating, one side wants to go up while the other wants to go down. I guess you might consider that a form of shear, but not in the classic sense.

Rzeppa

01-04-2008, 06:52 PM

Epilog:

With over 10,000 miles on the whole setup, she runs smooth and strong, starts right up in subzero weather, the engine and gear noise is much quieter and all is well. Compression is 120-125 across the board (about the best you can get at 7000 feet elevation), no leaks to the concrete and I'm a happy camper. Total engine refresh cost was about $150 in rings and bearings; I already had a gasket and seal kit lying around.

Since the last installment, I did inspect the fingers of the pressure plate from underneath and discovered that one of them was adjusted so bad it wasn't even touching the T-O bearing. I couldn't loosen the lock nut on the finger to re-adjust the finger, so I fabricated a cup shaped spacer out of a nut and bolt and slipped it in over the bolt end of the finger, it makes the fingers pretty close to even. I also lengthened the slave rod a bit more, and the clutch works much better and shifting is smoother. I should have kitted the tranny while it was on the floor, 2nd gear synchro is pretty shot, but still serviceable. The tranny had 272k miles on it when I put it in, now has 282k, not too bad :-)

I really like the 4 speed tranny/3-speed t-case combo, and have wheeled it hard. My internal t-case spacers and so forth seem to be holding up fine. I did do an oops when I mated the t-case to the tranny: even though I used a new seal, I did not use RTV on the output shaft splines and I got the classic t-case to tranny pumping. So I did the time-honored fix and drilled and tapped the fill holes, threaded in barb fittings and connected them with some 1/8 ID tubing. Seems to work fine.

I ended up using my 3-speed skid plate, I drilled 1" holes for the newly positioned 3.5" rearward drain plugs for the t-case and tranny, it has worked fine.

A lot of work, but not too much money, and I learned a lot along the way. Hopefully this write-up will help others too.

I haven't put this on my own web space yet, I am in the midst of completely redoing my personal web site. Prototype pages are here (http://rzeppa.org/development/).

Happy Cruisin'!

Convert

01-04-2008, 09:42 PM

Thanks for the great write up Jeff this will definitely help when I start my 40 project